Polk County Sheriff Lawrence W. Crow, Jr. will join children, parents
and caregivers for a walk to school in celebration of National Walk Our
Children to School Day, Thursday Oct. 5, 2000. Sheriff Crow will be
meeting parents and children outside Southwest Elementary School, located
at 2650 Southwest Ave. in Lakeland, at 7:30 a.m.

"This is a great opportunity for parents to actively participate
in making our school zones safe for our children," said Sheriff
Crow.

The Partnership for a Walkable America (PWA) established National Walk
Our Children to School Day to encourage regular daily walking for health;
to provide an opportunity for adults to teach children about pedestrian
safety and choosing safe routes to school; and to help initiate change in
communities to make them more safe for walking.

This is the fourth year the event has been held in the United States.
Last year, more than 300,000 parents, kids and community leaders from 170
U.S. cities walked to school together. The purpose is to walk to school
together with a common goal - to promote health, safety, physical activity
and concern for the environment. This year, countries from around the
world will be joining the United States to celebrate the first ever
International Walk to School Day. Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus,
the Isle of Man and the British Colony of Gibraltar are planning
walk-to-school events.